


Still Life

by Meatball



Series: UkaTake Weekend 2016 [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Manga Spoilers, only a little angst though, these are not the Tetsu and Kei you're looking for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 02:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5690407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatball/pseuds/Meatball
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their final game at Prefecturals, Ukai Keishin and Takeda Ittetsu wind down with the Karasuno Neighborhood Volleyball Team at a local izakaya.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>“K-kei,” Tetsu whines, “what if the owner walks back in? What if someone comes in? I don’t want people to start talking. I don’t want us to get in trouble!”</p><p>“Then blame me ,” Kei teases, his lips hovering over the bare skin at Tetsu’s collar. “Tell them I’m drunk and get all touchy-feely when it happens or something.” Kei rests his forehead on Tetsu’s shoulder, letting the silence rest between them.</p><p>“I don’t care if they talk,” he says, more seriously.</p><p>Tetsu sits still next to him, wordless, barely breathing. “Kei,” he says finally, with the tone of a mother’s loving admonition. “I do. I care.” </p><p> </p><p>for <a href="http://ukatake-week.tumblr.com/">UkaTake Weekend 2016</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Still Life

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 Prompt: Together/Relax

“No, really, Shimada-kun, I got this.” Takeda, for all his lack of athletic ability, possesses some pretty quick reflexes. He snatches Shimada’s ticket before he can even get a proper grip on the slip of paper. Ukai laughs.

“Don’t bother fighting it, Shimada,” he says, cheeks stained pink by just a bit too much sake coupled with remnants of the stress from the battle against Shiratorizawa. “He’s not going to let it go, man, so you might as well give in.”

Ukai speaks from experience, having been on the receiving end of the steady persistence Takeda had used to chip away at Ukai’s own stubbornness. Now, thanks to that determination, the rookie volleyball coach is taking his team — their team —  to Nationals. Ukai Keishin is no match for the unstoppable force that is Takeda Ittetsu.

Shimada sighs his defeat, pulling his hand back and ceasing any more attempts to retrieve the check. He doesn’t even bother grabbing his wallet to pull some cash out. Takeda would find a way to get it back to him anyway. Probably go to his store and drop it off on the counter.

“Alright, alright. Fine,” Shimada relents. “But I’m getting the next one,” he declares as he gets up. “I gotta head out. Early delivery coming in tomorrow.”

“Alright, man.” Ukai raises his cup in a salute. “I’ll give you a call.”

“We’ll see you soon, Shimada-kun,” Takeda says, getting to his feet and bowing. “Thank you for helping us train!”

“Ah, it’s nothing, Sensei!” Shimada counters, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling. “Working with the team has been very nostalgic. And fulfilling!” He steps toward the izakaya’s exit. “Congratulations again! Your guys looked great out there.” And with that, he walks out the door.

Ukai sips his sake, keeping his gaze at the door until Takeda takes his seat back down next to him. Everyone else has since gone, leaving just the two of them at the large table.

The road to Nationals has been long, one that even Ukai couldn’t travel in the three years he was a student at Karasuno. And here he is, barely six months in this coaching job and almost to that destination. Karasuno has a great team this year, for sure, but they have an even greater advisor who, despite his own inexperience with the sport, saw their potential for winning. A great advisor who has done everything he can to make sure that they realize that potential.

Ukai’s gaze turns to that advisor who, despite several rounds of alcohol, has yet to come down from the high of winning the prefecturals. He’s leaning forward on the table, holding his drink absently. His face is lit up, practically sparkling, with a helplessly giddy, poorly-disguised smile on his face. His aura is contagious and Ukai can't helped but be influenced. He can't help but grin, at their win today, at Takeda, at Takeda’s excitement, at Takeda’s shaking leg—

Ukai sits up and reaches over, laying gentle fingers on Takeda’s thigh. “Hey,” he says quietly, “you’re going to take down this entire building on top of us if you keep doing that.” Takeda jerks in surprise and stops his unconscious leg-twitching, his expression changing to mild embarrassment. He turns and flashes Ukai an apologetic smile.

“Ah, sorry, Ukai-kun. I just can't get over it yet,” Takeda explains, even though they know that they share the exhilaration from the day. The giddy smile he’d pushed aside refuses to stay hidden and quickly retakes its place on Takeda’s lips. “I knew what this team was capable of but even knowing that they could be the best in the prefecture, the experience is still overwhelming. I envy the boys, somewhat, that I didn’t get to fight on the front lines with them and taste the sweetness of their victory firsthand.”

Takeda catches himself before he continues his next thought. “Ah, there I go rambling again. Sorry, Ukai-kun.”

It takes him another second to realize that Ukai’s hand is still on his thigh and the dark eyes behind the thick-rimmed glasses widen in sudden horror.

“U-ukai-kun-,” he splutters, lowering his voice to a whisper. “W-what are you _doing_?” His eyes dart nervously from one corner of the izakaya to another.

Ukai watches everything in amusement as Takeda’s expressions shift from dreamy to embarrassed to proud. Even the horrified face he wears now tickles Ukai. It should probably bother him but he’s probably had a little too many to worry about it.

He leans in toward Takeda, fingers brushing along the outside of his thigh and up to his hip, where they rest. “Relax, Tetsu,” he breathes against Takeda’s ear. “It’s just us here right now.” There are no other customers in the izakaya, at least for the moment, the owner has wandered off to the restaurant’s small kitchen, and they are tucked in a corner where they would have sufficient warning should anyone enter the establishment.

His words do next-to-nothing to calm Tetsu, though the sudden sharp breath and fluttering of lashes raises Ukai’s hopes of more celebrating later, once they’re away from here.

“K-kei,” Tetsu whines, “what if the owner walks back in? What if someone comes in? I don’t want people to start talking. I don’t want us to get in trouble!”

“Then blame _me_ ,” Kei teases, his lips hovering over the bare skin at Tetsu’s collar. “Tell them I’m drunk and get all touchy-feely when it happens or something.” Kei rests his forehead on Tetsu’s shoulder, letting the silence rest between them.

“I don’t care if they talk,” he says, more seriously.

Tetsu sits still next to him, wordless, barely breathing. “Kei,” he says finally, with the tone of a mother’s loving admonition. “I do. I care.” He turns, forcing Keishin to lift his head and face him and that resolute expression that he has seen so many times before.

He knows that Tetsu is worried about what it would look like, two men together in this small country town. He knows that Tetsu is worried about what it could mean for his job — he’s a teacher after all. And he knows that Tetsu is worried about what could happen with Kei and Sakanoshita if their relationship ever came out.

“I don’t have too much going for me, I know. I’m not terribly talented but should I get knocked down, I can get back up. I’m a grown man. I can do at least that. Even if it means leaving.” His eyes lock on to Kei’s, sad, dewy, but holding the familiar determination just the same.

“You’ve come to mean so much in these few short months, Keishin,” he says. His voice is low, tender. Scared. “I can’t even explain how happy it makes me that we’re together. But-,” Tetsu closes his eyes and takes a calming breath. “But I’d do it. I’d leave if staying means taking _you_ away from these boys.”

Kei feels his chest tightening even as his eyes widen in surprise.

“They’re young. And playing this game has been the most important thing to them so far. They’re so close to their dream, Kei, and you helped them get there. I don’t want to be the reason they don’t reach it.” Tetsu pushes his glasses up, wiping away the tears he failed to fight off. “Sorry.”

But of course Kei can’t help it. How could he? His arms wrap tightly around Tetsu all on their own. His lips whisper words of comfort into Tetsu’s ear. “It's okay. It's okay, Tetsu. I understand.”

A shuffle from the back reaches Kei’s ears. He thinks quickly, knowing that the position they're in could be easily misconstrued. He could pull away but that might be seen as guilt. He tries a different tack.

“Ah, Sensei. Looks like that's enough for you, huh?” he says, more conversationally, pushing Tetsu’s cup of sake away. He feels Tetsu stiffen briefly under his arms then relax as he realizes what's happening. Kei shifts, getting up from his seat and pulling his drunk companion to his feet. “Come on,” he coaxes, “let’s get you home.”

“It's okay, Ukai-kun. I can stand on my own,” Tetsu says, wiping at his eyes.

Kei grins at the owner as she steps in from the back. “I'll get us paid up. You stay here, okay?” he tells Tetsu.

“But-,” Tetsu argues but Kei cuts him off.

“Ah-ah. No ‘buts.’ I got this one, Sensei,” Kei says with finality, pulling out his wallet as he approaches the bar.

“Will he be okay?” the old lady asks.

Kei gives her an apologetic smile. “Ahh, yeah. He just got a little overwhelmed.” His smile widens into a grin. “He’s the advisor for Karasuno’s volleyball team, you see. And-,”

The owner’s face lights up at the mention of the team. “Ohh! That's wonderful! Congratulations on going to Nationals!”

Kei’s grin grows even wider. “Oh? Did you watch it on TV?” he asks as he places cash on the counter.

“Oh, goodness, no!” Her dismissing wave is embarrassed and apologetic. “I don't really follow sports,” she explains as she rings him up.

“But my grandson does,” she continues, handing him his change. “He was in here earlier, before you boys got here. He and his boyfriend wouldn’t stop talking about it!”

Kei’s heart skips a beat and suddenly he can’t feel it anymore. He stops breathing. All the sounds around him are muffled. Whatever thoughts might have been in his mind flutter off into the ether. He lifts his gaze nervously from the hands giving him his change to the old woman’s face and the smile she’s giving him is warm and comforting, the look in her eyes, kind. His heart starts beating again.

“Haha! I-is that so?” The laugh he lets out is nervous regardless. “Well, thank you, obaa-san!”

He rubs the back of his neck and glances over at Tetsu. “Ah, I better get this guy home. I think he’s wasted.”

“Oh! Of course! Of course!” she waves him off, grinning as Tetsu walks over. “You kids be careful and have a good night.”

“Thank you, obaa-san,” the two men say in chorus.

She calls out to them as they step out the door. “You’ll celebrate here when you win won’t you?”

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on [Tumblr.](http://idontevenswim.tumblr.com) I have wine and cheetos.


End file.
